Brassiere



May 29, 1951 E. G. WILSON rAL BRASSIERE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1949 May 29, 1951 E. G. WILSON ET AL 2,555,177 BRASSIER Filed June 7, 1949 s sheets-sheet 2 May 29, 1951 E. G. wlLsoN ETAL BRASSIERE s sheets-snet s' Filed June '7, 1949 Zw i 2% HW 5' bbw/@7% Patented May 29, 1951 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE BnAssIRE Eiiie G. Wilson and Opal W. Gunnels, Center, Tex.

Application June 7, 1949, Serial No. 97,577

1 Claim.` (Cl. 2-42) This invention relates to brassires and a principal object of the invention is to provide a brassire of novel construction affording improved characteristics of wearing comfort.

` Another object ofthe invention is to create a garment of the stated type which closely approximates the natural shape of that portion of the feminine anatomy which the garment is designed to fit, thereby improving the factors of both function and appearance. V

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment of the stated character having breastreceiving pockets of novel form and structure which are better able to perform their intended functions than the corresponding devices of the prior art.

To this latter end, the invention contemplates the `provision of a brassire pocket construction wherein the uplift portion of the cup, namely,

that part which underlies the breast, will have the inherent strength and resistance to stretching or other distortions to maintain a support of substantially constant form and dimensions while still possessing the softness and degree of exi'oility required in a garment of the type involved.

More specically stated, the invention has for an object the provision of a pocket structure including in the uplift portion textile fabric of adequate effective thickness reinforced and stabilized by means of a novel system of stitching hereinafter described.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a brassire lpocket structure having an uplift portion of the character described, and wherein the upper portion of the pocket wall shall be constructed and dimensioned to allow freedom for expansive and contractive movements of the supported parts caused by normal body movements,

so that, while the pocket affords a stable and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating initial steps in the construction of the pocket; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 5 5, Fig. 4, showing the seam structure of the sub-assembly illustrated in the latter figure; Fig. 6 is a view in perspective showing the pocket in an intermediate stage of construction; Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional View on the line -'l, Fig. 6;

Fig, 8 is a view in perspective illustrating a further step in the process of construction;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 9 9, Fig. 8;

Figs. 10, 11 and l2 are sectional views illustrating further successive steps in the process of constructing the pocket;

Fig. 13 is a View of one of the elements of the body structure; and

Fig. 14 is a view in perspective of the finished article.

With reference rst to Fig. 14, a garment made in accordance with our invention will include a body structure I adapted to embrace the body and carrying two breast-receiving pockets 2 and 3 respectively; the body portion I consists of three principal parts including a central portion 4, generally of the inverted T shape shown in Fig. 13, and two end portions 5 and 6, respectively, which are connected by seams 1 and 8 to the ends 9 and Ii of the cross member of the T, said end portions 5 and 6 being adapted to encircle the body and having suitable means illustrated at I2 and I3 for buckling the ends of the garment at the back. The pocket elements 2 and 3, the edges of the lower portions of which conform generally to the curvatures of the edges I4 and I5 of the central portion 4, are connected to these edges and to the adjoining edges of the portions 5 and 6 by means of suitable seams I6 and I'I. The garment further comprises shoulder straps I8 and I9 which extend from the upper approximate mid-portions of the pockets 2 and 3, as indicated at 2i and 22, to the upper edges of the end portions 5 and 6, as indicated at 23 and 24. When the garment is worn the central upwardly extending part 25 of the portion 4 of the body structure, constituting the stem of the aforesaid T, takes a position between the breasts, and the laterally extending portions 26 and 21 lie against the body below the breasts. It is apparent that the dimensions of the various parts of the garment described above, including the pockets 2 and 3, the width and height of the portions 25, and the dimensions of the laterally extending portions 26 and 2l of the body structure and of the end portions 5 and 6 of that structure, may vary considerably in accordance with the requirements without departure from the basic principles of construction set forth above and hereinafter described in greater detail.

The pocket structures 2 and 3 are identical structurally, differing only in that being slightly unsymmetrical they are reversed in accordance with their left and right-hand positions. A description of the structural form and mode of construction of one of the pockets will therefore suiice for the other, it being apparent that the aforesaid reversal is effected merely by reversal of certain of the seams which join the elements of the pocket togther.

With reference therefore to Fig. l, it is to be noted that, essentially, the pocket comprises the six segmental elements indicated in Fig. 1 by the reference numerals 3| to 36 inclusive. These segmental elements may be blanked out of any suitable textile fabric, but preferably are bias cut. In addition to the elements 3i and 36 the pocket structure comprises in the present instance two segmental elements 31 and 38 of the same size and shape respectively7 as the elements 3| and 32, and additional segmental elements 39 and 4| which correspond in size and shape to the respective elements 35 and 36. In accordance with the invention these segmental elements 31, 38, 39 and 4| may be made of an open mesh or net fabric. These segments also are bias cut to conform to the segments 35 and 36 to which they respectively correspond.

As an initial step the segments 31 and 33 may be stitched together, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the seam being formed by laying the pieces face to face with the edge 42 of the segment 31 in registration with the edge 43 of the segment 38, and then joining the segments by stitches adjacent said edges passing through the fabric from one face "to the other. As Viewed in Fig. 2 the resulting seam 44 extends rearwardly. In a subsequent step the segmental portions 3| and 32 are similarly joined together by means of a seam 45 which, as viewed in Fig. 3, projects toward the front. The resulting composite elements designated in Figs. 2 and 3 by the reference numerals 46 and 41 respectively are identical in dimensions and outline but differ as to the direction of the seam. The elements 46 and 41 constitute the upper portion of the wall of the pocket.

In another step the elements 33 to 36 inclusive, 39 and 4|, are joined together in a composite sub-assembly shown in Fig. 4 and indicated generally by the reference numeral 48, this sub-assembly constituting the lower portion of the wall of the finished pocket. In joining these elements together the elements are laid face to face with the respective edges 59, 5|, 52, 53, 54 and 55 in registration and the six segments are then secured together by stitches passing along the said registering edges and through the pack from one face to the other, the resulting seam being indicated at 56 in Fig. 4 and as Viewed in that `ligure projecting toward the front of the assembly.

The segmental elements 33 to 36 inclusive, 39 and 4| may be identical as to size and shape, although not necessarily, and in the present instance the elements 34, 36 and 4| are somewhat smaller than the elements 33, 35 and 39. Under these circumstances it is essential that the elements 33, 35 and 39 be located in the stack so that in the sub-assembly these segments may lie one above the other, the segmental elements 34, 36 and 4i occupying a similar relation at the opposite side of the seam. It will be noted, however, that in securing these elements together the element 39 is positioned with respect to the element 4| so that when, after the seam is formed and the elements are spread out as indicated in Fig. 4, the segment 39, in order to occupy its normal position above with the segments 33 and 35, must be turned over the seam 56, whereby in effect the seam will be confined between the proximate faces of the segments 33 and 35. This seam 53 and the relative positions of the several segments is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, and it will be apparent that in order to bring the segment 39 into position overlying the segment 35 the former segment will have to be folded back over the body of the seam 56.

In the next step, the sub-assemblies 46, 41 and 4S are secured together to form the cup shaped pocket. This is accomplished by the proced-ure illustrated in Figs. 6 and '1. With the segment 39 of the sub-assembly 48 turned back over the seam 56 and against the face of the segment 35 and with the segments 34, 36 and 4| extending away from the segments 33, 35 and 39 at the opposite side of the seam 56; and with the sub-assembly 41 placed flatly against the faces of the segments 33 and 34 with the seam 45 projecting outwardly, and with the segments 3| and 32 in face to face contactl respectively with the segments 33 and 34; and with the subassembly 43 placed at the opposite side of the assembly with the segments 31 and 38 in face to -face contact with the segments 39 and 4| respectively, the seam 44 projecting outwardly; the edge portions 51 and 58 of segments 31 and 3| respectively, are secured by stitching to the edge portions 59, 6| and 62 of the segments 33, 35 and 39 of sub-assembly 48 by a line of stitches extending along said edges and through all of the superimposed layers. Similarly the edge portions 63 and 64 of the segments 38 and 32 are secured to the edge portions 65, 66 and 61 of the segments 34, 36 and 4| by a line of stitches extending along said edges and through all of the superimposed layers. The resulting assembly is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 wherein the line of stitches connecting the portions 51 to 62 inclusive is indicated by the reference numeral 68, and the line of stitches which connects the portions 63 to 61 inclusive is indicated by the reference numeral 69. The relative positions of the several elements at this stage is well illustrated in Fig. '1.

The segments 31 and 38 which, as previously described, are connected by the seam 44, is now turned around the seams 68 and 69 so that the segments 31 and 38 will lie in face to face contact Iwith the segments 3| and 32 at the other side of the seams 63 and 69, with the result that the seam 44 overlies the seam 45 and both seams are conned between the segments 31 and 38, constituting the aforesaid sub-,assembly 46, and the segments 3| and 32 which constitute the subassembly 41. Similarly the seams 68 and 69 are covered by the segments 31 and 38. The resulting relation of the various elements is shown in Fig.9.

By now turning the cup-shaped assembly inside-out the structure shown in Fig. 8 is obtained wherein the outer surface is composed of segments 3|, 32, 33 and 34 and the inner face by the segments 3l, 38, 39 and 4|. In the next step the seams which join the several segmental elements'. together and which intersect at the apex '|I of the conoidal pocket are bound down and reinforced by rows of stitches indicated by the reference numerals 12 and '|3 in Fig. 10. These stitches also serving to unite the several layers whichmake up the walls of the cup structure. In the next step the said layers are further consolidated and the entire wall structure reinforced by a system of stitches 14, see Fig. 11, extending in rings or convolutions and more or less concentric with the apex of the cup, said stitches in slightly spaced rows embracing the entire wall area with the exception of a minor part surrounding the apex 1| as indicated in Fig. l1 by the reference numeral |6. This area may, for eX- ample, extend 371 radially from the said apex.

A nal operation in forming the pocket is illustrated in Fig. 12. This step consisting in running lines of stit-ches transversely to the lines of stitch 14 and approximately parallel to the major seams 18, 79, 8| and 82 which seams extend from the base of the cup to intersect at the apex and which unite the four major segmental portions of the cup. These lines of stitches indicated at 83 in Figs. 12 and 14, spaced slightly apart, function with the stitching 'I4 to thoroughly stabilize the walls of the cup preventing distortion due to any normal strain `and insuring an adequate and firm support.

It will be noted that the segmental elements 3|, 32, 31 and 38 which form the upper two segmental portions of the walls of the cup are somewhat larger than the segments 33 to 36, inclusive, 39 and 4| which form the extra thick lower segments of the wall. Thus while the two lower segments form a well stabilized support, the upper larger and relatively flexible segmental wall portions afford ample room for adjustment of the supported members during normal movements of the body.

It will be noted further that the body portion of the garment is formed so that the portions thereof which pass under the pockets are of sufcient width to provide space for a plurality of lines of stitches 84 which extend continuously over the entire length of that portion of the garment to reinforce the lower part of the body structure and thereby to insure sufiicient inherent stiffness in this part of the garment to resist rolling up tendencies and to insure the body structure lying flatly and firmly against the body. It will be understood that the cup portions in practice will be lined and covered with suitable ornamental and soft facing fabrics as required in a garment of this character.

We claim:

A brassire pocket element of conoidal form comprising four segmental sections, the united side edges of Iwhich converge to the apex of said pocket, each of said sections embracing approximately one-quarter of the wall of the pocket, and the junctures of the sections falling roughly on horizontal and vertical lines, a series of lines of stitches in the Wall of said pocket more or less concentric with said apex, said lines being narrowly spaced one from the other and collectively embracing substantially the entire wall of the pocket, and an additional separate series of stitchingV lines in each of the lower two of said sections, said lines being formed in two sets eX- tending respectively substantially parallel to the side edges of said section and transversely to the lines of the stitches f1rst named, and intersecting each other in pairs so as to form in eifect a plurality of nested Vs having their open tops in the outer edges of the sections and their converging legs extending parallel to the respective sideA edges of the sections, the lines of the said two sets of the second named series of stitches being narrowly spaced and embracing substantially the entire area of the respective sections.

EFFIE G. WILSON. OPAL W. GUNNELS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

